Quote Originally Posted by JohnT
I'm an EE as well, and you absolutely do not need an earth ground on a pool system. 2005 NEC had a footnote added to clarify this. The addition of a ground rod can cause stray voltage issues under certain circumstances.

The lugs on the pool and equipment aren't called ground lugs, they are called bonding lugs, and they are used to create an "equipotential plane" which prevents anyone in the pool from coming into contact with any two things that are at significantly different voltages. Ground doesn't enter the equation until the bonding wire is connected to the bonding lug on the pump motor housing, which is grounded via the service lead to the house's service panel ground. Look at NEC 2005 680.26.

No offense, but this is what I mean by bad internet information. The NEC revision IS AN EARTH GROUND, but in grid form for pools that have conductive construction elements that can be separate from a central earth ground, but connected to improperly grounded equipment.

This won't exactly work for someone who's already built the pool! ....lol

Bottom line: Use proper EARTH grounding or get a group funeral plan.

Here's the section:

1. Revise 680.26 (C) & 680.26 (C)(1) as follows:

C) Equipotential Bonding Grid. The parts specified in 680.26(B) shall be connected to an equipotential bonding grid with a
solid copper conductor, insulated, covered, or bare, not smaller than 8 AWG or rigid metal conduit of brass or other identified
corrosion-resistant metal conduit. Connection shall be made by exothermic welding or by listed pressure connectors or clamps
that are labeled as being suitable for the purpose and are of stainless steel, brass, copper, or copper alloy. The equipotential
bonding grid shall conform to the contours of the pool and shall extend within or under paved walking surfaces for 1 m (3 ft)
horizontally beyond the inside walls of the pool and shall be permitted to be any of the following:
Exception: The equipotential bonding grid shall not be required to be installed under the bottom of or vertically along the walls of
vinyl lined polymer wall, fiberglass composite, or other pools constructed of nonconductive materials. Any metal parts of the
pool, including metal structural supports, shall be bonded in accordance with 680.26(B). For the purposes of this section, poured
concrete, pneumatically applied (sprayed) concrete, and concrete block, with painted or plastered coatings, shall be considered
conductive material.
(1) Structural Reinforcing Steel. The structural reinforcing steel of a concrete pool or deck where the reinforcing rods are bonded
together by the usual steel tie wires or the equivalent. Where deck reinforcing steel is not an integral part of the pool, the deck
reinforcing steel shall be bonded to other parts of the bonding grid using a minimum 8 AWG solid copper conductor. Connection
shall be per 680.26(D).